Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

NBC Slammed for Dropping 'Under God' From Pledge

Network issues apology amid Twitter fuss

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 20, 2011 7:21 AM CDT

(Newser) – NBC sparked a furor on Twitter after it omitted the words “under God” from of the Pledge of Allegiance during its US Open coverage—twice. In the pre-taped segment, kids recited the pledge as patriotic images appeared on screen. The first time, the words “under God” and “indivisible” are left out; the second time, “one nation” is also missing. NBC has apologized for leaving words out, though it didn’t specify which ones.

“Regrettably, a portion of the Pledge of the Allegiance that was in that feature was edited out. It was not done to upset anyone and we’d like to apologize to those of you that were offended by it,” said announcer Dan Hicks. But with the material so heavily edited, “was the omission inadvertent? Or was NBC making a statement?” asks Mashable.

[Images (1)]

[Videos (2)]

NBC dropped 'under God' from the Pledge of Allegiance in US Open footage. (Shutterstock)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

A less-than-perfect recording of the segment. (YouTube)

NBC's apology. (JohnWingWing)

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

CLICK BELOW TO VOTE

22%

21%

12%

36%

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Fox Refuses Ads for Service to, Well, Kill Ads

Dish Network's Hopper can automatically skip commercials

(NEWSER) - How awesome would it be if your DVR automatically skipped commercials on shows recorded off the major networks? Probably not very awesome if you were one of those same networks, which is why they're outraged over the Dish Network's upcoming "Hopper," which, Dish announced last week, would be able to do just that with its "Auto Hop" feature. Fox released a statement today saying it would no longer accept ads for Hopper, and other networks have publicly expressed displeasure as well. More»

Troubled NBC Looks for Ratings Amid Laughs

Quarter of schedule devoted to comedy

(NEWSER) - NBC is looking to comedy to help it climb the ratings ladder: Nearly 25% of the network's fare next season will consist of sitcoms, up from just 14% last fall. Execs are aiming to recapture the highly-educated young adults that helped propel Seinfeld and Friends, the Los Angeles Times reports. And "audiences have been very receptive to comedy and light fantasy drama the past couple of seasons," says chairman Bob Greenblatt. More»

Thinking, Religion Don't Mix: Study

Analytical thought tends to drown out faith, researcher finds

(NEWSER) - People prone to analytical thinking are less prone to religious faith, a new study has concluded. Scientists have long believed that analytical thinking can override one's intuitive responses, and studies have shown that religion is rooted in intuitive thought. So Canadian researcher Will Gervais set out to see if analytical thought could override religion, the LA Times reports. First he gave a group of students a test whose questions were designed to have an intuitive-but-wrong answer and a correct one requiring more thought to arrive at. More»

Which Country Believes in God Most?

The Philippines, but the US is high on the list

(NEWSER) - If religion were a contest, the Philippines would be winning. A whopping 94% of people in the Philippines believe in God, making it the most faithful country on the planet, or at least, among the 30 countries included in a new University of Chicago study. But almost all the nations in the study had Christian majorities, the AFP reports, so it's hardly entirely inclusive. Still, the Philippines' dominance might explain something like this. More»

Tina Fey: End of 30 Rock 'on the Horizon'

But Alec Baldwin is in it to the last, she assures 'The View'

(NEWSER) - The good news: Despite the fact that Alec Baldwin went on a Twitter tirade threatening to leave NBC, he is not bowing out of 30 Rock early, Tina Fey assured the ladies of The View today. The bad news? The show, currently in its sixth season, may not be around much longer. "We're all in this together 'til the end," she said. "I think that he just maybe means that the end of the show—we're in six years—that the end of the show is visible on the horizon. We're all still on the show." More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

NBC Slammed for Dropping 'Under God' From Pledge

Network issues apology amid Twitter fuss

[Images (1)]

[Videos (2)]

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

NBC • religion • Pledge of Allegiance • US Open Golf

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Fox Refuses Ads for Service to, Well, Kill Ads

Dish Network's Hopper can automatically skip commercials

Troubled NBC Looks for Ratings Amid Laughs

Quarter of schedule devoted to comedy

Thinking, Religion Don't Mix: Study

Analytical thought tends to drown out faith, researcher finds

Which Country Believes in God Most?

The Philippines, but the US is high on the list

Tina Fey: End of 30 Rock 'on the Horizon'

But Alec Baldwin is in it to the last, she assures 'The View'

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?